US1246311A - Aeroplane. - Google Patents

Description

A. T. OLEARY.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILEDAPR. I9. l9l6.

1 346,3 1 1 n Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

fiSHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR WITNESSES T x 5 BY ATTORNEY A. T. OLEARY.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19. 1916.

Patented Nov; 13, 191?,

5 SHEETSSHEET 2- INVENTOR S E S S E N W W ATTORNEY A. T. OLEARY.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION. FILED APR.19,1916- Patented Nov. 13, 191?.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

V INVENTOR flfieary Arfhur WITNESSES ATTORNEY A. T. OLEARY.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.19, i916. Lififi 1 1L Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

INVENTOR f V Z? OZeary WITNESSES Wm M q m ATTORNEY A. I'. OLEARY.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.19. 191s.

Patented Nov.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5 INVENTOR Arthur Leflfl WlTNESSES ATTOR N EY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR 'rmorny OLEARYI, or BUTTE, MONTANA.

AEROPLAN E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 191 '2'.

Application filed April 19, 1916. Serial No. 92,243.

construction, is particularly adapted for.

stable dynamic flight through the air.

Another object resides in providing a propeller moving in a horizontal plane for assisting during flight, in elevating the machine.

A further object resides in providing an aeroplane in which the drivers compartment is located at the forward part of the machine, and contrary to theusual practice, the driving propeller is located rearwardly of the drivers compartment.

A further object consists in providing a novel means for controlling the stability and direction of flight when the aeroplane is in the air.

With the above and other objects in view, I will now proceed to describe a specific embodiment of the present invention which I have shownby way of illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the aero plane.

Fig. 2 is a forward elevation.

Fig. 3 is 'a side elevation.

Fig. at is a top plan view of the drivers compartment, the upper planes being removed.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the elevating propeller casing.

F ig. 7 is an elevation of one of the controlling members.

Fig. 8 is a similar view of one portion of one of the controlling members.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a controlling member, and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on 10-10 of Fig. 9.

The aeroplane comprises a frame work consisting of the spaced horizontally extending frame members 1 and the vertically extending frame members or reinforcing elements 2 which are suitably interconnected the line so as to form an aeroplane frame. Supported on the frame are the upper and lower laterally extending planes 3 and 4, respectively. At the forward end of the machine is pivoted an elevating rudder 5 which extends in a lateral direction. At the rear of the machine is a similar elevating plane 6 and adjacent to the said rudder is a vertical plane 7 which may be swung either to the right or left in order to control the lateral direction of flight. Intermediate the two planes 3 and 4 and positioned at each end of the lateral sides of the aeroplane frame are two supplementary planes 8 and 9 which impart lateral stability to the machine during flight. In order to compensate for overbalancing on either side of the aeroplane due to the shifting of the weight carried thereby, or due to varying densities of the air currents encountered during flight, the two suplementary planes'S and 9 are each provided with the movable portions 10 and 11 which rotate about a horizontal axis disposed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the machine. and hence as the positions of the two portions 10 and 11 are varied, the resistance offered by the particular plane 8 or 9, as the case may be, is diminished or increased and thus by the proper manipulation of these two portions, the lateral stability of the aeroplane during flight may be readily controlled. It hasbeen found preferable in practice to shape the rudder or elevating plane 6 similar to the tail of a bird, and to also shape the rudder 7 in somewhat the same manner. Beneath the tail of the machine and protecting the rudder 7 during the operation of alighting from a flight is a skeg 12 and this, of course, is positioned at the rear of the machine. At the forward end of the machine is supported or caried a frame work consisting of the resilient carriage A provided with wheels 13 and having a forwardly extending steering wheel 14 which is suitably controlled as will be hereinafter explained.

Atthe forward end of the machine is located a somewhat boat-like drivers compartment 15 which contains the drivers seat 16 and the power plant 17 which may be an internal combustion engine of any suitable description. The driving shaft 18 of the 'power plant 17 is extended to the rear of the drivers compartment and is supported in a suitable bearing. Journaled in a bearing 19 in the rear end of the drivers compartment is, the propeller shaft which is also supported in a supplementary bearing 21 reinforced by braces 22. This shaft 20 carries the. propeller 23 and also carries two sprockets 241 and 25 which are connected through the medium of chains 26 with similar sprockets 27 and 28, respectively, on the shaft 18. The shaft 18 extends through the base 29 of the drivers seat 16 and is supported therein. Beneath the drivers seat and secured to the shaft 18 is a gear 30. Also, in the base 29 is journaled a reciprocable and rotatable stub staft 31 which has connected thereto at 32, a foot lever or pedal 33 fulcrumed at 35. A spring 34 connects with the end of the shaft 31 and normally tends to disengage gear 36 carried by the shaft 31 from the gear 30. Also carried on the shaft 31 is a beveled gear 37 which meshes with a similar beveled gear 38 carried on a vertical shaft 39 journaled in a dome-shaped casing 40 which has a depending flange 41 provided with air openings 42. The shaft 39 is supported in the cross member 43 carried by the casing 40. The shaft 39 carries a propeller 44 which rotates in a horizontal plane and is provided for the purpose of assisting in the elevation of the machine when starting or during flight. It will be seen that the driving of the propeller 44 is optional with the driver of the machine by reason of-the fact that the clutch member may be operated to'disengage the gear 37 from the gear 38 and likewise simultaneously disengage the gear 36- from the gear '30 thus severing all connection between the power mechanism of the vehicle and said propeller 44.

In order to control the machine when moving along the ground when it has either just alighted or is aboutto take flight, a foot brace 45 is provided which isivoted at 46 and has connected with each en there of cables 47 and 48, respectively, which are in turn connected with the axle 49 of the steering wheel 14 and thus the steering wheel 14 may likewise be turned in order to guide the machine during its movement from the ground.-

To control the lateral direction of flight and also the transverse stability of the machine, the driver has located on his right and left when he is sitting in the seat 16, the controlling members B and C, respectively, each of which comprises a support or bracket 50 which has pivoted thereto an axle 51 extending in ahorizontal direction and formin a mount for a disk-like member 52. The disk-like member 52 of the controlling member B has secured thereto at its upper and lower halves in diametrically opposite positions, the cables 53 and 54 which are connected so as to move the portions'lO and 11 in either direction. Superposed on the members 52 and movable in a plane parallel with the disk like member 52 is an additional rotatable element 55 which, in the case of the controlling member B has secured thereto cables 56 and 57 which lead to -the rudder 7 to move it to the right or to the left in order to control the lateral direction of flight. The controlling member C has its member 52 connected with cables 58 and 59 connected with the forward elevating plane 5 and its member 55 connected with cables 60 and 61 which are in turn connected with the plane 6 for elevating the machine while in flight or when starting. Each of the controlling members B and (lie provided with a conveniently located handle 62 so that these handles may be grasped to move the controlling members as desired.

From the foregoing description it will be readily understood that, when the machine is first started it runs along the ground and as the aeroplane obtains the desired velocity, the. aviator throws into gear the pro eller 44 which immediately produces a su cient force to. cause the aeroplane to rise off the ground and take flight. When once in flight, the propeller 44 .is preferably thrown out of gear and is maintained in a position of quietude until such time as it is further desired to increase the altitude to which the machine has arisen and then the propeller 44 is again thrown in the driven connection and assists the elevating planes 5 and 6 to increase the altitude of the machine with the greatest velocity.

While, in the foregoing I have described and illustrated a specific embodiment of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that, in ractice, I may resort to such practical modi cations of the device as fall within the scope of the same as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, an aeroplane, a casing mounted beneath said aeroplane and having a depending flange provided with air outlets, a propeller rotatable in a horizontal plane within such casing to elevate the aeroplane, a propeller rotatable in a vertical plane to move the aeroplane in a forward direction, and means for driving both of said propellers.

2. In an aeroplane, a body frame, a vertically disposed propeller shaft beneath said tioally disposed propeller shaft beneath said body, a propeller atthe lower end of said shaft, a beveled gear on the upper end of said shaft, a longitudinally movable horizontally disposed stub shaft adjacent the upper end of said propeller shaft, a beveled gear on said stub shaft adapted to mesh with the gear on said propeller shaft, a foot lever for moving said stub shaft in one direction, a contractile spring normally holding said stub shaft with its beveled gear out of engagement with the corresponding gear on the propeller shaft, a main power shaft, a gear on said maln shaft, and a gear on said stub shaft adapted to mesh with said main 15 ARTHUR TIMOTHY OLEARY.

Witnesses: A

JEREMIAH T. Lyn 01 1, M. J. ENGLISH.

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